ten

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leo.

I take baby steps.

Everytime.

For me, everything in life could be in the palm of your hands with hard work. I had to open up. I had to work hard conversing with people around me. I had to open up my heart to others to get this one goal I have been trying to reach for the longest time in my life, next to soccer or anything related to sports. I had my eyes set on this goal, and I had to earn it, no matter what. I had been working, trying my best to be able to do so... And I believe that with all my might that I could do this. "Taek Woon, why don't you try smiling a bit?" Hak Yeon pouted.

And it seemed like the results weren't that good.

It ain't working for me. I thought as I cringed my forehead even more when Hak Yeon suggested. "Something wrong?" He asked, "Geez, it's just smiling, you know? It's not that hard!" The man in front of me smiled, "See? Try it yourself. Here. I'll help you." He grabbed my cheeks and he pinched it so hard. Hak Yeon-hyung kept on stretching it until it formed a crescent shape. My cheeks were bloody red. I sighed, "No." I gave him a stern look and got his hand off of my face. Of course, it's easy for you. I mean, I'm not you, nor Jae Hwan, nor anyone at that level. The class president was handling out the test papers that we took yesterday to each and everyone of us. Hak Yeon was all cheery the time he saw his paper, while mine, well... 

"Taek Woonnie~ What's your score?" He neared me, clenching on his paper. I tried to take a peek from his, but he noticed this and shoved it away. "No! Not yet!" He grinned, but it faded away the time he saw my score - 62 points. His jaw dropped from seeing my score. He was bursting mad! It was obvious. "You're not my mom..." I mumbled to myself as I folded the paper and put it inside my bag. It wasn't a big deal for me, I'm not a flawless human who can never get low grades! No one's perfect! "What the - How did you get such horrible score?!" He shook me non-stop. "Atleast I passed..." I reasoned out. "Really Taek Woon, why can't you just be like me? Look!" He shoved the paper right in front of my face. 

89 points.

Big deal.

"Soccer practice." I reasoned out. I kept a straight, poker face. "Well, it's not my fault! It only gives you extra-curricular points!" He scolded. "It's a big part on the percentage of the total average." I said, backfiring him so that he would stop being so motherly. "Yeah, I know. But you can't win with just athletics! You've got to have brains!" Hak Yeon nodded. Brains, I do have those, but...

Can't win, huh?

"That's why all the ladies are after me." His smile was from ear-to-ear and praised himself all alone. Hak Yeon in his natural habitat. Just normal, actually.

"All the ladies?" I asked. Hak Yeon faced me and nodded, "Yep! They were all chasing me~ Is it because of my good dancing skills? Or good looks?" He chuckled and gave a sigh, "My, oh my, I might fall in love with myself too!" He laughed so hard, he couldn't breath. "Then where are they?" Right after I said those words, he karate-chopped my neck. "You are acting like Jae Hwan." I rolled my eyes and stared at the window.

Good grades.

Good looks.

Dancing skills?

Athletics.

Smiling...

My progress was bad after all. Totally bad. I couldn't even get close to her.

"Do... Girls like intelligent guys?" I asked Hak Yeon whose eyes widened, "Do they like killer-smiles? Great dancing skills? Sporty guys?" I kept on talking, Hak Yeon was speechless in his own corner. 

"Does she... Even like me?"

My one goal I've been working hard all along was her.

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